Business Jet Traveler

Some people tried to convince Charles Lindbergh that he shouldn’t attempt his 1927 New York-to-Paris flight in an airplane with only one engine. His response was that two engines would double his odds of having an engine failure. In the graveyard humor of pilots, the saying goes, “The second engine will take you directly to the scene of the accident.” So Lucky Lindy chose a single Wright J5 Whirlwind to power the Spirit of St. Louis, and the rest is history.

In 1924, Clyde Cessna and Walter Beech started the Travel Air Manufacturing Company in Wichita, Kansas. Within four years it was the largest maker of commercial airplanes in the U.S. Cessna left to start his own company in 1927 and Beech did likewise in 1932, forming what we now know as Beechcraft.

There aren’t many small towns that exude the culture and elegance of an urbane city. Perhaps that’s why people flock to downtown Naples, on the Gulf Coast of southwest Florida. Fifth Avenue there is rightly famous for its bistros, high-end clothing and jewelry shops and casually upscale lifestyle. Yet the area’s appeal is also because of what lies immediately beyond and around it: a golf-rich region, with low-lying courses set against a backdrop of untouched native habitats and wetland preserves.

What’s the worst thing that can happen to your business jet? You might think the answer is an accident resulting in total loss, but it’s not. If a hangar roof collapses and destroys your aircraft, your insurance should enable you to replace it. On the other hand, if the airplane is only damaged in the incident, the insurer may opt to repair it, leaving you with a jet that operates just fine but has (gasp) damage history.

Dublin’s Chapter One, now in its 22nd year, offers an excellent example of modern Irish cookery. Chef and co-owner Ross Lewis and his staff will make you feel comfortable whether you’re a tourist, a local shop clerk or a certain internationally famous Irish rock star who’s known to frequent the place.

BJT readers—who represent one of the highest-net-worth magazine audiences anywhere—clearly have the means to contribute to a better world. To help you do that, we’re spotlighting one deserving organization per issue.

When you’re evaluating the state of the used-aircraft market, you need to look at more than the percentage of the worldwide fleet that’s currently for sale. You have to investigate availability in a variety of geographical areas and model-year ranges.

During the 1960s, when Sean Gallagher was 16, his mother took him fishing for steelhead on the Skagit River in northern Washington State, on the Canadian border. In the young Gallagher—now a retired teacher living in the shadow of Mount Rainier—the experience ignited a passionate pursuit of the giant sea-run rainbow trout.